Shoe-lace fastener



(No Model.)

B. F. LYNCH. SHOE LACE PASTENER.

No. 484,899. Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

02 175681, Invegior g; 22 Y/KMWM Q 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERNARD F. LYNCH, OF BROOKLYN, NE\V YORK.

SHOE-LACE FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,899, dated October 25, 1892.

Application filed u y 11, 1892- Serial No. 439.668. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it knownthat I, BERNARD F. LYNCH, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lace-Fasteners; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

My invention relates to lace-fasteners for gloves, shoes, 850., wherein one member is secured to the glove or shoe and the other, having the end of the lace or cord fastened thereto, is fitted to engage with the first memher.

The objects of my invention are to improve the construction of such devices, so that their manufacture shall be less expensive than hitherto and at the same time to render them more easy to manipulate and to preventtheir tearing out from delicate material.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is perspective View of a shoe having my improved fastener applied. Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views of the blanks from which the two members of the fastener are formed. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the two members of the fastener completely formed.

The one memberA of the fasteneris formed from a blank of sheet metal,substantially T- shaped, with upper and lower cross-bars a a, respectively, united by a shank a The cross-bar a is considerably longer than the cross-bar a and is bent to form a rod, which may be engaged with the other member of the fastener and may be readily grasped by the fingers for engagement or disengagement. The portion a is bent to form an eye, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, through which the lace or cord may pass and in which it shall be held by a knot above the eye. The other member B of the fastener is cut from sheet metal in the form shown in Fig. 3, having at one end a tongue b and at the other end the three tongues 11', b and 19 The tongues b and b are bent at right angles with the body of the member to be passed through the leather or other material and to be clinched on the under side. The tongues 19 and b are bent in the opposite direction to form two parallel hooks, which are separated by a space between them.

In the use of my improved fastener the part B having been secured to the body of the shoe or glove and the lace orcordhaving been measured and knotted as described above, the rod or handle a of the member A is grasped by the fingers and engaged with the hooks b and b of the member 15, the shank a ofthe member A standing between the two hooks. As the eye a is held at some distance from the cross-rod or handle a by the shank a the knotting of the lace or cord will not interfere with the proper engagement of the two members, as it does oftentimes when one member is so formed that the end of the cord comes directly in contact with the body of the fixed member.

It will be observed that my improved fastener can be very easily and cheaply manufactured and that it can also be very easily applied to the article with which it is used.

I am aware that a lace-fastener has hitherto been devised, having a socket member secured by a separate rivet to a shoe and a tubular member provided with a finger-piece and adapted to have the lace secured thereto. I am also aware that an umbrella-tie has been constructed in which the fixed member has parallel hooks and the free member has a T- piece for engagement with said hooks, connected to a loop, which is adapted to have the flexible tie affixed thereto. Both of said devices require either stitchingoran independent rivet to attach them to the article to be fastened and are therefore less economical in manufacture and application than my device, each member of which is complete in itself and ready for instant application.

I claim as my invention A lace-fastener comprising one member composed of a single piece of sheet metal, having a cross-bar a bent to form an eye, a cross-bar a bent to form a rod, and a connecting-shank, and a second member composed of a single piece, having at one end a tongue b and at the other end three tongues 13' 19 b the tongues 12 and I) being bent in one direction from the body to be passed 5 through the material of the shoe or other article, and the tongues 12 and 11 being bent-in the opposite direction to form parallel hooks, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of me two subscribing witnesses.

BERNARD F. LYN OH.

Witnesses: A. N. J ESBERA, A. WIDDER. 

